


Lost in translation

by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [10]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Break Up Talk, Breaking Up & Making Up, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: This pair's story continues with a bit of breaking up, a bit of making up, and a 'break' from each other which doesn't go as planned.
Relationships: Aaron Finch/Glenn Maxwell
Series: Cricverse [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 13
Kudos: 12





	Lost in translation

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly set in January 2014.
> 
> ***  
> This story follows on from events in [Made sense eventually](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24856348) and is also a companion to [Chapter 20 of Now and Forever.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22146736/chapters/60764140)
> 
> Of course, it can be read on its own :)

Things were great between Aaron and Glenn in the first couple of months. They spent practically all of their free time together. Glenn still lived with his parents, but he ended up spending so many nights at Aaron’s that one day, Aaron cleared some space for Glenn’s clothes in his wardrobe.

“Are you sure?” Glenn had asked, when Aaron showed him. 

“Of course,” Aaron had replied, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “You’re welcome here, always. You make the place feel brighter.”

Glenn had grinned, pulling Aaron in for another kiss.

But things weren’t as simple as Aaron had hoped they would be. He found himself falling for Glenn, hard. An hour spent away from him felt like it stretched out for a day. He just felt so right when they were together. 

So when Glenn made the call on a grey Melbourne morning that he wanted to end things, Aaron was absolutely shocked, and heartbroken.

Glenn was sitting at Aaron’s island bench in his kitchen, and Aaron was on the other side, a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the countertop. He couldn’t meet Glenn’s eyes. 

“Really? Why? Did I do something to upset you?” Aaron choked out.

Glenn sighed, shaking his head. “I just… I’m not ready to commit as deeply as you are,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Aaron turned his back on Glenn so Glenn didn’t see him blink back tears, leaning against the counter.

“I thought you were happy with me, Maxi,” Aaron mumbled, broken.

Glenn took in a shaky breath. “I am,” he assured. “So happy.”

Aaron turned back around so he could narrow his eyes at Glenn. “Then why the fuck are you breaking up with me? I don’t understand,” Aaron exclaimed. He wanted to tear his hair out with distress. 

“I can’t give you what you deserve, Aaron,” Glenn murmured.

Aaron scoffed, shaking his head. “We were so happy, literally just last night. Was it all a lie?”

“No!” Glenn declared quickly. “No, Aaron. Every second with you is amazing. I just… I’m not ready for all of this,” he mumbled. 

Aaron thought that reasoning was ridiculous, but he wasn’t willing to fight with Glenn. He shook his head, pacing around the kitchen. 

“Glenn, if you want to leave, I’m not stopping you.”

Glenn looked at him longingly. “Aaron, I wish I could give you as much as you give me-“

Aaron shook his head, cutting him off. “No, don’t make this about me. This was your choice.” 

“These have been the best few months of my life because of you, Aaron,” Glenn’s voice broke.

Aaron leant over the sink, bowing his head. “If you really meant that, you wouldn’t be dumping me,” he told the plughole. 

Glenn sighed, and Aaron heard a shuffle as Glenn got out of his seat and gathered his keys and wallet, heading towards the door.

“I wish I were ready for this, with you,” Glenn met Aaron’s eyes one last time.

“I wish you were, too,” Aaron agreed, watching as Glenn shot him an apologetic look before walking out of his house.

Aaron waited until he heard Glenn’s car leave the driveway before he let himself break down.

***  
That had been their first breakup. They had sorted things out the following summer, when they played their first Shield season together for Victoria. 

Maybe, Aaron mused one day, things were always destined to be a bit hot and cold between them. 

Their rekindled romance was going well for the two of them mid-2013, when they toured South Africa together with the Australia A squad. They spent more time together than they had since the domestic season, and Aaron was reminded of all of the things he loved about Glenn’s company. 

There were a few moments on that tour when Aaron was sure they had been sprung by their teammates. One night, Aaron let his guard down, accidentally falling asleep in Maxi’s bed after some particularly good sex. Maxi’s roommate was Mitch Marsh, but he was always off hanging out with his brother or Pat Cummins, so Maxi just snuggled up with Aaron and fell asleep himself.

Mitch had returned past midnight, yawning, but as fate had it, he headed straight into the bathroom. The sound of the keycard mechanism whirring as it unlocked the door woke Aaron, and he jumped up with a jolt, quickly throwing his clothes back on. He pressed a kiss to Maxi’s lips before rushing to the door.

“Night, Finchy. I love you,” Glenn whispered into the darkness.

Aaron was thrumming with too much adrenaline from nearly being caught, that the words didn’t settle in his consciousness until he was back in his own room. 

***  
Aaron had thought Glenn’s confession meant they would stay together this time, but he was wrong. They called things off just before the beginning of the 2013/14 domestic season, which made Victorian training tense. They could still get along, but every little interaction between them just made Aaron’s heart ache. 

England toured Australia that summer, and both Aaron and Glenn were named in the white-ball squads.  
The first match was mid-January, at the MCG. Aaron had elected to take a hotel room with the team so he didn’t have to drive home at midnight after the match, and he had no idea what Glenn was doing. They didn’t exactly talk much, any more. 

Dave Warner knew something wasn’t quite right with Aaron. They had played together since under 17s, so they knew each other pretty well, both on and off the field. 

As they went through a light warmup on the MCG, Dave stood beside Aaron. “Is everything alright, Finchy?”

Aaron shrugged. “Too many memories here. I know he feels it too,” he sighed. 

Dave squeezed his shoulder. “Mate, he’s an idiot for letting you go. But it’s still your home deck. Don’t worry about him. You know how to play here,” he said gently. 

Aaron nodded, listening appreciatively. “Hope you’re right.”

***  
Later that day, after England posted the total of 269, Aaron and Dave were out in the middle together, opening the batting for Australia. 

Their partnership flowed perfectly. They made it through more than half of the fifty overs together, putting on a partnership of 163 before Dave fell for a well made 65 in the 28th over, dismissed by the bowling of Root. 

Aaron was on 87 when Dave was dismissed, and he was desperate to go on and convert it into a century. Watto was dismissed for a duck, so Michael Clarke came out to join Aaron. 

“Doing well, mate, keep it up,” Michael told Aaron. 

Aaron just nodded, wanting to prove himself on the big stage. 

When he finally brought up his century, Aaron was delighted. When he raised his bat to the crowd, he hoped Maxi was watching from within the team area. But would he have even cared? 

Aaron and Michael put on a partnership of over 70 together, before Aaron was dismissed on 121, bowled by Stokes. 

There were still ten overs to go, so he headed down into the locker room as Bails went out to bat. 

Glenn was next in, so he crossed paths with Aaron on his way to the dugout.

“You were amazing, Aaron,” Glenn said with a soft smile. 

Aaron was so surprised by the interaction that he just mumbled a thanks and continued on his way. 

***  
The Australians ended up chasing down England’s total with four overs to spare, but they didn’t celebrate the win much as a team, because the next match was only a couple of days later. 

Back at the hotel, Aaron had just put on a T-shirt and shorts on after his shower when he heard a knock on the door. 

He would know that knock anywhere. He braced himself as he opened the door to see Glenn, looking sheepish, nursing a bottle of champagne. 

Aaron’s breath hitched. “Maxi,” he breathed. 

Glenn chanced a little smile. “I didn’t get to properly congratulate you on being man of the match,” he explained, gesturing to the bottle in his hands. “Do you mind if I come in?”

So much was running through Aaron’s mind, but he stepped aside, holding the door open to let Glenn in. 

“Do you have glasses in here?” Glenn asked, gesturing to the small kitchenette in Aaron’s hotel room. 

Aaron, grateful for something to busy himself with, joined Glenn in the kitchen. He found some wine glasses in an overhead cupboard and held them out to show Glenn.

Glenn nodded, shrugging. “Closest we’ll get to proper champagne flutes,” he agreed. 

Aaron half smiled before he could even think about the circumstances. 

He expected things with Glenn to be a lot more tense than they actually were. Aaron had procured a bucket of ice from the kitchenette’s mini freezer - he had actually planned on using it for iced water, but this idea was a lot more thrilling. 

They drank on Aaron’s bed with the bucket balanced precariously on a towel, the bottle inside it. 

“I’m so happy for you, for your innings today. It was amazing to watch,” Glenn gushed. 

Aaron felt himself flush. “Thanks, Maxi. I felt really good out there.” 

“You belong out on the MCG, smashing boundaries like that,” Glenn said, raising his glass to his lips. 

Aaron watched Glenn’s throat work as he swallowed. “Thank you,” he said, touched. “What did I do to deserve all these compliments?” Aaron asked shyly, looking into his glass so he didn’t have to meet Glenn’s eyes.

Glenn shrugged easily. “You’re still the gorgeous, lovely man I met when I first started with Victoria,” he pointed out. “I’ve missed talking to you. After today, I thought you needed a bit of celebration.”

Aaron swallowed back a comment that would have pointed out that it was Glenn’s choice to end things, in the first place. He wanted to stay strong, but his heart and mind always turned to mush whenever situations involved Glenn. 

He gave in. 

“I’ve missed you too, so much,” Aaron admitted, voice quiet.

A sigh of relief left Glenn’s lips. “God, Aaron, I needed to hear that,” he murmured.

“Of course I miss you, Maxi. You’re everything to me, that’s no secret. I’ve told you that a hundred times, and I still mean it,” Aaron pointed out. 

He didn’t clarify whether his statement involved feelings or just friendship. They weren’t in the right spot for that kind of conversation, tonight.

Glenn just nodded, thinking, as he drew another sip from his glass. A cheeky smile appeared on his lips as he evidently thought of something. 

“What is it?” Aaron asked, a little self-conscious.

Glenn chuckled softly. “Would you take it the wrong way if I kissed you?”

Aaron nearly melted as the words Aaron had said to Glenn, back before their very first kiss, four years ago, fell from Glenn’s lips. 

Aaron didn’t know what he was feeling, or what Glenn was feeling. Just like he hadn’t known, the very first time they did this. Maybe it mattered to Glenn, maybe it didn’t. All Aaron knew was that Glenn was offering, and god, did Aaron want to kiss him.

Aaron laughed shyly before taking both of their glasses and placing them on the bedside table. 

“You always manage to surprise me, Maxi,” he said softly, before leaning in and kissing Glenn for the first time in a couple of months.

The kiss started off shyly, but Glenn tangled his hands through Aaron’s short hair and deepened the kiss. When their tongues dragged against each other, Aaron felt like he was coming home. 

Aaron pushed Glenn back onto the bed, holding himself above Glenn by his elbows as they kissed.

But then Glenn’s calf brushed against the ice bucket, and they both opened their eyes, looking at each other with alarm.

And then they burst out laughing. 

Aaron clambered off of Glenn to shift the bucket to the safety of the small dining table. 

“That could have been a massive disaster,” Aaron chuckled, trying to dispel the hot tension that had been between them moments before, unsure of what would happen next.

Glenn laughed, throwing his head back onto the mattress. “Imagine explaining a spilt bottle of champagne on the carpet when we weren’t even meant to be drinking,” he mused.

Aaron laughed, but he wasn’t sure what to do - they were on a break, yet they had just made out. And… why wasn’t Glenn shifting?

“Get your arse back here, I’m not done with you,” Glenn teased, reaching out for Aaron.

Aaron hadn’t expected that. Heat pooled in his stomach. And he did as Glenn asked. Gladly.

***  
Aaron fell asleep with Glenn in his arms, neither of them bothering to redress before they drifted off. Aaron hadn’t felt this content since Glenn had left him, and he tried not to think about whether this was the last time they would ever be intimate together.

To complicate things even further, Aaron woke up to an empty bed, his arms wrapped around a pillow. His heart dropped. 

Glenn had left before Aaron woke up. 

Aaron spent the day in his head, wondering where it had all gone wrong. Glenn had come onto him, right? Were there no feelings involved last night, for him?

The boys managed to ignore each other through gym sessions, training sessions, and team meals. 

At their team dinner the night before the second ODI, Aaron sat down with Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Johnson. He listened to their conversation for a little while and gleaned that Pat Cummins was going to make his Scorchers debut, which was nice. Aaron knew that Pat had had a horrible run with injuries. Aaron realised with a hint of surprise that Shaun spoke about Pat in the same fond, familiar tone that he used to speak about Mitch, but Aaron didn't put much thought into why. 

It must have been obvious that Aaron was still in a bad mood, though, because Shaun put a hand on his forearm. “Mate, is everything alright? You’re a bit quiet, tonight,” Shaun said softly.

Aaron just shrugged. “All good,” he replied, poking at some limp lettuce on his plate with a fork.

Aaron missed the concerned look that Shaun and Johnno shared.

“Did you have a blow up with one of the boys?” Johnno asked.

Aaron grimaced. He didn’t even know if he and Glenn had fought. He didn’t think they had… but why was Glenn ignoring him, now? 

“Nah, no fights,” Aaron replied honestly, and Johnno nodded, dropping the topic.

***  
The second match was another win for the Aussies, as they chased down England’s total with just three balls to spare. Aaron, though, had a shocker, making a three ball duck.

Glenn had a brilliant match. He made 54 from 39 balls, and took two wickets, including that of Cook, England’s captain.

In the locker room, Glenn was elated, chatting with Jimmy Faulkner, who had been named man of the match for his brilliant 69 from 47 and two wickets. 

And then Glenn’s eyes met Aaron’s across the room. And Glenn smiled at him sheepishly. The same damn gorgeous look that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. 

Aaron couldn’t take it any more. He beckoned Glenn to come over with a tilt of his head, and saw Glenn quickly wrap up his chat with Jimmy, never taking his eyes off Aaron.

They headed out of the Australian rooms and up the players’ race so they could head out onto the turf of the ‘Gabba. They had walked about a quarter of a lap of the ground before Aaron spoke.

“Did I read things wrong, the other night?” Aaron asked, looking up at the empty grandstands, taking in their multicoloured seats.

Glenn seemed shocked, by that. “What? No!”

Aaron looked at him, totally lost. “I have no idea what to think,” he admitted.

Glenn grimaced. “Aaron, it’s not what it looks like,” he mumbled.

“You came over, we slept together - and it was fucking amazing, no less - and then I woke up and you were gone. I’m beyond confused. I don’t know what to feel,” Aaron explained.

“I really fucked this up, didn’t I,” Glenn sighed.

“Glenn, please just tell me what you’re feeling. I’m sick of trying to work it out for myself,” Aaron admitted.

Glenn took a deep breath, looking skyward as if for some divine intervention. “I want you back, Aaron. But sleeping together out of nowhere was definitely not the way to go about it, and I’m sorry,” he admitted.

Aaron hadn’t expected that. “You… want me back?” He repeated, surprised.

“Of course I do, you big idiot,” Glenn chuckled softly.

“You could have just said so,” Aaron replied, dumbfounded. He knew he should have put up more of a fight, but Glenn was worth it.

Glenn stopped walking, looking down to meet Aaron’s eyes. “I thought that was kind of obvious when I seduced you,” he bit his lip.

Aaron rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a fond chuckle. “And then leaving? How the fuck was I meant to know what you wanted after that, Maxi?”

Glenn cringed a little. “Sorry. I panicked,” he admitted.

Aaron shook his head, exasperated, but couldn’t hold back his grin now that he had Maxi back where he wanted him. He leant up to kiss Glenn, under the lights of the ‘Gabba, in the beautifully warm Brisbane air. 

Aaron knew they hadn’t properly addressed things, but they had time for that. He really hoped that this was the last time they would be patching up a break up, because he and Glenn were better together.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is followed by [Don't say it's over,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541901) [Nobody better to lose to,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480069) [Our stars will fall..,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22506697) and [Champagne and lost sleep](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26693755).


End file.
